A newspaper (USA Today) caption of a bunch of people being sworn in as new citizens:

Former refugees and asylees are sworn . . .

How did I make 73 years without running into THAT word before?

(BTW, spell checker doesn't recognize it. Neither does Webster's 10th. Or American Heritage. I no longer have the OED, alas.)

_________________Jim Lewis - lewisjk@windstream.net - Western NC - People, when Columbus discovered this country, it was plumb full of nuts and berries. And I'm right here to tell you the berries are just about all gone. Uncle Dave Macon, old-time country musician

Webster's On-line Dictionary lists a special definition of the word "asylee."

An alien in the United States or at a port of entry who is found to be unable or unwilling to return to his or her country of nationality, or to seek the protection of that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution. Persecution or the fear thereof must be based on the alien's race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. For persons with no nationality, the country of nationality is considered to be the country in which the alien last habitually resided. Asylees are eligible to adjust to lawful permanent resident status after one year of continuous presence in the United States. These immigrants are limited to 10,000 adjustments per fiscal year.

1930 and 1960? That was about when phonics was hooted out of the curriculum. If someone had had to sound out asylee, it would have never made it to word-hood.

Well, Fiona and all . . . be assured that the word shall never again pass my lips.

And Jay, if that is a "special definition," what is the \"regular\" definition? (And just so you know, ever since M\'soft\'s error-ridden, and laughed-out-of-business Encarta Dictionary I have distrusted computer and on-line dictionaries.)

"Multilingualism:" That\'s what all us USAians should practice, but won't because some head-in-the-sand Know Nothing told us it was UnAmurricun to speak anything but "Murrican." Too bad most of us botch even that. I have no idea what that other word is, IF it is.

Last edited by JimLewis on Wed Mar 31, 2010 6:56 pm; edited 2 times in total

_________________Jim Lewis - lewisjk@windstream.net - Western NC - People, when Columbus discovered this country, it was plumb full of nuts and berries. And I'm right here to tell you the berries are just about all gone. Uncle Dave Macon, old-time country musician

Joe Hatfield wrote:Heh... I guess us younger gents and gals have a step up on you old farts. I use asylees on a daily basis with all my friends and family, along with Floccinaucinihilipilification, and Multilingualism.

(US, law) An alien in the United States or at a port of entry who is found to be unable or unwilling to return to his or her country of ...en.wiktionary.org/wiki/asylee

A person at a port of entry or in the United States, who is unable or unwilling to return to his/her country of nationality or habitual residence because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or ...www.grads.vt.edu/igss/general_info/definitions.html

Also known as a person seeking “political asylum.” This status is granted by the Immigration Service to an alien residing in the .US because of a well-founded fear of persecution in the individual's country because of race, religion, ethnic group, or social group. ...www.dpw.state.pa.us/oimpolicymanuals/manuals/bop/ca/101/101-01.htm

A person granted asylum in the United States after applying with the CIS or the Immigration Court. An asylee may apply for adjustment of status after one year of continuous presence in the United States and their children and spouse may be included in such application if the relationship existed ...www.ladominguezlaw.com/11.html

Oddly enough the Webster's on-line Dictionary indicates the web usage of "asylee" is an average of 4 times per day.

_________________Jim Lewis - lewisjk@windstream.net - Western NC - People, when Columbus discovered this country, it was plumb full of nuts and berries. And I'm right here to tell you the berries are just about all gone. Uncle Dave Macon, old-time country musician

Floccinaucinihilipilification: A jocular coinage, apparently by students at Eton, combining a number of roughly synonymous Latin stems. Latin flocci, from floccus, a wisp or piece of wool + nauci, from naucum, a trifle + nihili, from the Latin pronoun, nihil (“‘nothing’”) + pili, from pilus, a hair, something insignificant (all therefore having the sense of "worthless" or "nothing") + -fication. "Flocci non facio" was a Latin expression of worthlessness, literally "I do not make a straw of...".

The act or habit of describing or regarding something as worthless.

Often cited as the longest non-technical word in the English language, being one letter longer than the commonly-cited antidisestablishmentarianism.

And it is very easy to pronounce. Just gargle using a shot-glass-worth of Listerine mouthwash.

_________________Jim Lewis - lewisjk@windstream.net - Western NC - People, when Columbus discovered this country, it was plumb full of nuts and berries. And I'm right here to tell you the berries are just about all gone. Uncle Dave Macon, old-time country musician

I found it, it is listed as a publicity stunt so that their town would have the longest name on the list of UK railroad stops. It is listed on the list of longest names, but I believe Germany actually has the longest name.

Always ready to attract visitors to Wales. Our "publicity stunt" was artificially contrived in the 1860s to bestow upon the station the honour of having the longest name of any railway station in the United Kingdom. A pretty early example of a publicity stunt.

_________________“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” - Charles Darwin.

Kev Bailey wrote:Always ready to attract visitors to Wales. Our "publicity stunt" was artificially contrived in the 1860s to bestow upon the station the honour of having the longest name of any railway station in the United Kingdom. A pretty early example of a publicity stunt.